Ready for an efficient workout to build your upper body by creating a more sculpted chest and a more muscular back? Rethink your training week and step away from the usual workout split. Training chest ... Continue Reading
Lat Pulldown vs. Pull-Up: The Battle for a Bigger Back
The lat pulldown and the pull-up are staples across many training programs — sometimes even coexisting within the same workout. Both exercises train the “vertical pulling” movement pattern and can be ... Continue Reading
Chris Bumstead and Derek Lunsford Go Heavy on Back Day with Hany Rambod
Four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead and 2021 Olympia 212 champion Derek Lunsford aren’t regular training partners, but they are both clients of 22-time Olympia winning coach Hany ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row to Build a Strong, Muscular Back
How do you develop killer lats? First, you need to do lat pulldowns. Then you need to do pull-ups. After you’re done with that, try some rows, and then finish off with some pullovers. Or... you could just ... Continue Reading
The Best Bodybuilding Workout for Each Body Part
Simple bodybuilding programs are a little too easy to find. You could pull them from fitness magazines — those ghost-written workouts that your favorite bodybuilders supposedly follow. You could roll the ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown for a Bigger Back
Due to their prominence, well-developed back muscles have been described as wings. Want wing-like back muscles? On the short list of things that allegedly “give you wings” are energy drinks, good deeds, ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown for Back and Biceps Gains
The lat pulldown can be a reliable and effective alternative to back-training staples like chin-ups or pull-ups. Pulldowns can be useful for novice lifters who may not yet be strong enough to perform ... Continue Reading
Eddie Hall Takes Another Step Toward Bodybuilding With an Intense Back Workout
As one of the greatest strongmen of all time, former 2017 World's Strongest Man (WSM) Eddie "The Beast" Hall has probably earned the right to try his hand at almost any competitive venture. As such, with ... Continue Reading
The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced
Pairing your back and biceps in one workout has been a classic muscle-building session for decades. It’s a time-tested approach that’s reliable, effective, and it simply makes sense — the majority of ... Continue Reading
Should You Train the Deadlift on Back Day or Leg Day? What to Know for Results and Recovery
“Doubling up” can be a good thing — A doubleheader at the ballpark, double meat in your burrito bowl, and a double shot of espresso to jump-start the day. But it can also be, well, double trouble — Double ... Continue Reading
The 4 Best Pull-Up Alternatives for Back Strength and Muscle
The pull-up is what many experienced trainers refer to as the “king of upper body exercises.” Although the common gym narrative is to test your worth by finding out how much you bench press, there’s so ... Continue Reading
The 12 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives for Back Size
There aren’t many muscle-building or strength-focused training programs that leave out the traditional lat pulldown. Many effective workouts include this classic, and for good reason. Pulling in a ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Straight-Arm Pushdown for a Wider Back
Exercises like the chin-up and the deadlift are seen as the kings of back-builders by many lifters, but they are only the meat and potatoes. You have to add some seasoning if you want the best final ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Upright Row for More Upper Body Muscle
Most shoulder exercises involve pressing a weight overhead, while most back exercises involve pulling a weight toward your body. The upright row is a little bit of both. This unique vertical pulling ... Continue Reading
Everything You Need to Know About Pull-Ups for Beginners
Few exercises can be as daunting as the pull-up. Having the strength necessary to perform one single repetition is a challenge for many. Yet, it is a milestone everyone should strive for. It’s frustrating ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Weighted Pull-Up — Benefits, Variations, and More
Pull-ups are often called the king of upper body lifts — but do you know what is even more worthy of the crown? Adding resistance and doing more pull-ups. There will come a point when bodyweight pull-ups ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Inverted Row — Benefits, Variations, and More
Bodyweight exercises are often shunned by “hardcore” gym-goers who only deem worthy exercises when you lift heaps of hard-cast iron. Yet they forget that bodyweight movements can be very beneficial, and ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Bent-Over Barbell Row for a Bigger, Stronger Back
They say, “you gotta row to grow.” And what they’re (almost always) referring to is the big, basic, bent-over barbell row. The barbell row is one of the most challenging exercises you can you implement ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Chin-Up for Bigger Arms and a Stronger Back
Many lifters want to follow programs that deliver results without wasting time in the gym. One of the most effective ways to achieve that is to train with exercises that work multiple muscles at once. Many ... Continue Reading
The 18 Best Back Exercises for Width, Thickness, and Strength
Back day can be one of the most enjoyable days you’ll have in the gym. Due to the sheer number of muscles in the back, it’s one of the strongest parts of the body — second only to the legs. Also, a ... Continue Reading
The 8 Best Upper Body Pulling Exercises
When most people talk about building an impressive physique, they often envision capped delts the size of bowling balls, a massive chest, and chiseled abs. But what about the muscles you don't see from the ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row for Bigger Lats
Back workouts will always require both vertical and horizontal pulling exercises for complete development. While pull-ups and pulldowns are common vertical pulls, one of the most fundamental horizontal ... Continue Reading
How to Do the Lat Pulldown — Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
Many gym-goers are well aware of the pull-up, but struggle to perform their first rep. While it may be fairly easy for some, for others, it is a much longer journey that can be shortened by spending time ... Continue Reading
How To Do the Pendlay Row
Glenn Pendlay was one of the leading coaches in American weightlifting — he held a Level 5 accreditation from USA Weightlifting (the highest available) and coached many high-level athletes to medals in ... Continue Reading
